XFX Type 01 Bravo Case Review

XFX Type 01 Bravo Interior

Like the exterior, the interior of the XFX Type 01 Bravo is all black, including the cooling fans and all of the plastic pieces. The red buttons on the 5.25" device locks (along with the red XFX logos on the sides) are the only exceptions. The body is composed of 0.7 mm SECC steel and it has very few supports, with the result being that the mechanical strength of the metallic chassis is below average. For rigidity, the Type 01 Bravo relies on the motherboard tray and the side panels. We wouldn't worry too much about the structural integrity of the metallic chassis though, because the brittle plastics are the real problem.

On the previous page, we mentioned that the plastic top and bottom frames are just for decoration and mishandling them will almost certainly cause permanent damage. We tested that theory by trying to lift the empty case by its rear top plastic frame, which looks like a handle. The result of that test was the snapping of the frame even before the whole case was off the ground. The bottom rear frame shattered when the case landed back on the floor as well. It goes without saying that users need to handle the Type 01 Bravo with extra care.

The motherboard tray of the XFX Type 01 Bravo is designed to hold motherboards up to full ATX size. Strangely, the area of the motherboard is slightly recessed, bringing the motherboard a little lower. There are many openings for routing cables, with almost all of them covered by the unusual "snake opening" rubber grommets. The sole exception is the opening at the top right side of the motherboard tray, which is for the CPU power cable.

We should add that there is an opening a little higher than the bottom of the tray for Micro-ATX motherboards, which is a nice touch. The opening for the installation of coolers is not very large but it ought to be adequate, unless the motherboard has the CPU slot placed in a strange location. The clearance between the motherboard and the top panel is good but only a single fan can be installed there, therefore only liquid coolers with radiators up to 140 mm long are usable.

It is possible to install a PSU of virtually any length in the Type 01 Bravo. A unit with a chassis longer than 180 mm however is likely to block the optional bottom fan slot. The PSU sits on rubber supports and there is a cushion between it and the chassis of the case, isolating any vibrations between the case and the PSU.

There are two HDD drive cages inside the Type 01 Bravo. The bottom cage can hold up to three 3.5" or 2.5" drives. Things are a bit more complicated with the top cage, which can hold up to five trays. The standard trays can hold either 2.5" or 3.5" drives but it is possible to move the metallic side of the cage an inch inwards, allowing the use of five narrow trays that can only hold 2.5" drives. The narrow trays are provided with the case by XFX, and by reducing the width of the cage the user gains about 30 mm extra space for overly long graphics cards. Of course, it is also possible to remove the cage completely should you choose.

A massive 200 mm fan is installed at the front of the case, behind a nylon dust filter. To clean the filter, the user has to pull the entire faceplate off. This has to be done cautiously, as there is a cable connected to the faceplate for the buttons and LED lights that needs to be unplugged. You'll also want to make sure you don't tie that cable down anywhere while managing the cables of the case, as doing so will make it difficult or impossible to move the faceplate out of the way.

The rear of the motherboard tray is spacious and clean, with a few cable tie mounts available to the user, allowing for effective cable management. However, the clearance between the tray and the side panel is just 18 mm, which is mediocre at best and can be a little bit of a headache if there are many cables overlapping each other.

Black cables and parts are easily hidden inside an all-black chassis so for visual clarity we are using a Corsair AX760i PSU with a red cable pack and white SATA cables for our pictures. Building a system inside the Type 01 Bravo is a simple procedure, much like with any typical mid-size tower case. We spent most of our time routing the cables, which is what we suspect that will be true for end users as well.

As you can see from the pictures of our test build, the ATX system fits inside the XFX Type 01 Bravo like a glove. The many openings make the routing of cables a seamless procedure, and the EPS connector can be routed from the opening at the top right side of the motherboard tray. Typical graphics cards can easily fit inside the Type 01 Bravo, without having to reduce the width of the drive's cage. Cards longer than 340 mm are likely to be a problem with the 3.5" drive cage installed, but such cards are uncommon. Should you have need for more space, however, the width of the drive cage can be reduced or it can be removed completely. This will benefit all of the motherboard's expansion slots, allowing the installation of more than one extra-long card if the user is planning to build a very powerful SLI/Crossfire gaming system.